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Carina Schmitz

Employer Branding & Employee Engagement Manager

As Employer Branding & Employee Engagement Manager at SupplyOn, one of my main tasks is to strengthen the loyalty and motivation of our employees and to familiarize potential applicants with our employer brand and corporate culture.

In my interviews, I let my colleagues have their say and share their first-hand experiences at SupplyOn. These insights are intended to show you what kind of working environment and atmosphere you can expect: SupplyOn's attitude as an employer and the topics that drive us most.

Posts by Carina Schmitz:

Inside

From mistakes to progress: Miriam on the benefits of a positive error culture

Error culture is an essential component at SupplyOn to promote continuous improvement and personal growth. In this interview, Miriam Lanzinner, Head of SCC and TM Solutions at SupplyOn, talks about her attitude to error culture, how she deals with errors in the team, and what role they play in professional development.   As a manager, how do you live the learning culture and actively promote the sharing of experiences from mistakes in the team? Miriam: In our team, mistakes are allowed to happen and that they are a natural part of our work. Nobody makes mistakes on purpose. My motto is: "You live, you learn!" Transparency is very important to me. I make sure that we have open communication and that everyone dares to address unpleasant topics. I achieve this by setting a good example myself and talking openly about my own mistakes and challenges. In this way, I create an environment in which mistakes are not seen as a weakness, but as a learning opportunity. What methods do you use to promote a constructive approach to mistakes? We work according to the SAFe method in product development. Among other things, this is based on the conviction that mistakes are accepted and seen as learning opportunities in order to promote project progress. It is not about apportioning blame but looking at mistakes neutrally and drawing the right conclusions from them. In fact, mistakes are beneficial to our learning. In practice, we use every productive problem to improve our test automation. When an error occurs, we feed it back into the automation to ensure that it is covered in the future. This approach helps us to continuously improve, drive innovation and strive for perfection — without having to be afraid of making mistakes.   How does this learning process actually work? Miriam: When a mistake occurs, we discuss it as a team and analyze what went wrong. We often use the 8D process, which systematically examines in eight phases what the problem was and what measures we need to take to prevent it in future. This process helps us to take a thorough and structured approach, especially when dealing with major challenges that affect several departments. Working according to the SAFe methodology also involves regular feedback elements, such as the retrospective. In these retrospectives, we reflect on what went well and what went less well and look for solutions together to continuously improve. Would you say that it takes practice to distance yourself emotionally from mistakes? Miriam: Absolutely. It's a learning process. Product Owners often have a strong personal attachment to their projects, a very high sense of responsibility and the last thing they want for their project is for mistakes to happen. It is human to have the impulse to justify yourself or assign blame when mistakes occur. You have to learn to remain neutral. At the end of the day, we are all pulling in the same direction and customer satisfaction and quick problem resolution are crucial to the success of the company. Experience plays a major role here. For new employees at SupplyOn, it is also a learning process to understand that mistakes are seen as learning opportunities and that this is not just said, but really lived. This is very much about letting go of possible past experiences, rethinking and ultimately building trust. If employees feel that mistakes are accepted, the fear of them will also disappear. And that is so important, because people who work out of fear tend to make more mistakes. Do you have any other tips for employees on how they can analyze their own mistakes and deal with them constructively? Miriam: It's important to take a differentiated view of mistakes and not overlook the interpersonal aspects. Anonymous 360-degree feedback can help to uncover underlying problems that are not immediately visible. I think that's very important, because only when problems are on the table can they be worked on. Employees should also reflect regularly and talk openly about mistakes to find solutions together and learn from them. So, I would advise employees to be open to mistakes and see them as an opportunity to grow. Work closely with your team and take every opportunity to learn and develop from challenges.   Would you like to join an employer with a culture of error and learn to use mistakes as an opportunity for personal growth using agile methods? Go to our vacancies: SupplyOn Group
From mistakes to progress: Miriam on the benefits of a positive error culture
Inside

Career development for IT leaders: success paths and recommendations by Mirjam and Maximilian

We interviewed Mirjam Schubert, Head of SCC Shipping, and Maximilian Schuderer, Manager PD&A Daisy, about their personal career paths. In this interview, discover their career development journeys, tips for your own growth, and advice for your career path.Can you briefly tell us about your career path at SupplyOn? How did you start, and how did you manage to develop into your current position?Maximilian: My journey at SupplyOn began in 2021 as a Senior Software Architect in the Visibility and Analytics area. At that time, our development team was still small, only three or four people. However, much has changed since then—our team has grown exponentially, to over 30 developers, who work together to develop state-of-the-art full-stack web applications with a robust data backbone. My role also evolved. Starting as a technical team lead, I also proved myself on a disciplinary level and increasingly became recognized as a leader. This transformation was recently confirmed through an official promotion.Mirjam: My start at SupplyOn was similar. I began as a Product Owner in the Supply Chain Collaboration team, bringing experience from the agile world. When SupplyOn transitioned to SAFe methods in 2019, it was familiar territory for me. The team's structure evolved in parallel with growing demands, and during this phase, I took on the role of Product Manager. Over the years, our development team has nearly doubled, and my responsibilities and role grew continuously. Due to further growth and changing structures at SupplyOn, I was eventually promoted to Manager of the Shipping area, gaining additional disciplinary responsibility. What role did mentors or role models play in your career path?Mirjam: Before starting my career, I was fortunate to have role models who supported and encouraged me. I want to pass on the luck I had as a young person, being guided along the way. My commitment to training apprentices at SupplyOn was a direct result of this. My path to leadership was characterized by a strong focus on the development of my employees and the team.Maximilian: Before my time at SupplyOn, I didn’t have mentors or role models who influenced my career path. On the contrary, my experience after my vocational training was rather disappointing, as leaders were more interested in billing employees to clients as quickly as possible rather than focusing on their development. This experience was a crucial drive for me to develop myself and support others. Gradually, I took on more responsibility and actively invested in the development of my employees and the team. At SupplyOn, I found an environment where I was given the freedom and opportunity to develop and prove myself.Did you have a specific career development goal that you actively worked towards, and did you actively drive your personal and professional development?Mirjam: I had already carried out parts of the Product Manager role at my previous company. I then acquired the additional qualifications for the position at SupplyOn in close cooperation with my supervisor. Regarding my leadership qualifications, as mentioned earlier, I have always focused on the development of employees and the team. I firmly believe that a team can only reach its full potential if all members work at a comparable skill level. Therefore, I see it as my task to support the team through coaching, provide targeted information, and enable them to continuously develop.My strong interest in mentoring apprentices led me to actively promote the recruitment of apprentices within my team. I even obtained a trainer's license because the topic of training is particularly close to my heart. Through these experiences, my supervisors recognized my potential as a leader and entrusted me with more responsibility in disciplinary team leadership. I am excited to further deepen my passion for the development of employees and teams in my new position.Maximilian: In my role as a Senior Software Architect, I already had technical leadership responsibilities. My goal was to expand this technical responsibility to the disciplinary leadership of development teams. At SupplyOn, I was given exactly this opportunity. I was actively involved in interviews as the technical part and played a key role in the onboarding process and the further training of new developers.This commitment was a key moment for my decision to further develop into a disciplinary leadership role. Even before I could address this with my supervisor, she anticipated my intentions in the next personnel development meeting and offered me the opportunity to lead a large part of our Full Stack Developers disciplinarily.Are there specific training programs, further education, or other measures that you would recommend to younger employees to develop themselves personally and professionally?Maximilian: In my view, there is no one-size-fits-all training or further education. It's highly individual. Accordingly, I invest a lot of time and effort into individual development plans for each employee. Every employee has individual needs and goals. Some value stability and want to feel comfortable in their work while continuously developing, especially if they have family obligations. Others are more focused on their career development and may aim for the architecture path.To grow as a developer at SupplyOn, I definitely recommend acquiring knowledge in technologies outside of one's own stack. For example, I strongly encourage frontend developers to also learn backend technologies. This not only helps to better understand the interfaces within a product and team but also promotes a holistic perspective and strengthens team collaboration. I also recommend getting involved in software architecture. Even if you don't want to become a software architect, the knowledge helps to get a comprehensive overview for daily business, better understand tasks, assess, and execute them.Mirjam: I agree with Maxi. It's also important to emphasize that there are two directions of development: horizontal and vertical. Both are equally valuable. Being a leader doesn’t make you superior. It’s important to nurture each individual and create a development plan together. There are various training courses, from Scrum to leadership training, which are useful depending on background and experience.I see this as a dialogue with the supervisor: Where do you see yourself? Here’s how I see you. All paths are open, whether vertical in the hierarchy or horizontal in other roles such as project management or that of a Scrum Master, depending on strengths and interests. That's what's great about our work with SAFe: there are many different roles and development opportunities.It’s important to understand that what you learn here can also be applied elsewhere. You're not learning for the company SupplyOn, and you're not continuing your education for them, but actually for yourself. Once you understand that, it's a huge added value that, through your own motivation to learn, also benefits SupplyOn as a company.Were there any particular challenges or obstacles on your way to your current position? How did you deal with them, and what lessons did you learn that you would like to pass on to newcomers who aspire to a similar career?Mirjam: Before my time at SupplyOn, I experienced firsthand as a newcomer how a work environment can evolve from hurtful comments to bullying. Such experiences can be very unsettling at a young age. A boss telling you that you're not good enough can really hit you hard. You feel worthless and start doubting yourself. In general, I’ve learned that it’s important not to doubt yourself, your strengths, and your abilities, even when it’s difficult. Fortunately, I had someone back then who stood up for me.Maximilian: I had a similarly challenging experience at a previous employer. My former supervisor threw me into a large industrial project without proper onboarding. Despite the lack of support and clear deficiencies in the onboarding process, I was expected to deliver full performance immediately. When I sought support, I was advised to leave the industry if I couldn't handle it.At SupplyOn, however, I had a completely different experience. The onboarding was highly professional and structured. I was thoroughly onboarded and received strong support from my supervisors and colleagues from the start. This positive and supportive work environment showed me how important good onboarding and a strong team are to be successful and to develop.I would recommend to young employees: stand up for your needs for information, communication, and onboarding. Seek conversations. And if these don't bear fruit, trust yourself, listen to yourself. Don't let obstacles discourage you; instead, use them as an opportunity to strengthen your skills and determination to achieve your goals.Mirjam: Fortunately, it’s different for me at SupplyOn as well. I experience mutual appreciation and open, eye-level communication here as central elements. Regardless of the position, all employees are treated with respect and are important. This collaborative environment, exemplified by the leaders, contributes significantly to the positive work atmosphere. Would you like to drive your own senior career development at an appreciative IT company? Take a look at our open positions and apply today!
Career development for IT leaders: success paths and recommendations by Mirjam and Maximilian
Inside

Feedback for career growth: Sabine’s top tips for success

In this interview, Sabine Moudilou, Manager Portal UI/UX, who has advanced her professional development at SupplyOn through openness and targeted feedback, shares her valuable experience and tips on feedback and self-development. Find out how constructive feedback can help you achieve your professional goals.Can you briefly outline your career at SupplyOn and describe what feedback means to you personally?Sabine: Sure, of course. I started at SupplyOn in 2016 as a working student. After graduating from university, I supported our customers as a consultant with the implementation of our SCC solutions. I then moved to the Supplier Onboarding team and took on my first team lead position. For about three years now, I have been working as a Manager in Product Development at SRM & Portal, supporting UX Designers, Product Managers and Product Experts in their daily work.Feedback has always been incredibly important to me. I am open to feedback and also like to give timely feedback myself. I see it as an opportunity to learn and develop. The feedback I received from my colleagues was particularly valuable because I was able to learn from great experts in their fields. This helped me enormously, especially at the beginning of my career.What strategies have you used to get constructive feedback from colleagues and managers? Are there any specific methods you would recommend?Sabine: I try to actively seek feedback, be it after presentations or in preparation for important meetings. I often ask directly what they think of my work, whether I have conveyed the content clearly and what I could improve. I find it particularly important to explicitly ask for feedback at the end of the year, independently of formal target agreement meetings. This gives me the opportunity to reflect comprehensively on my achievements and challenges of the year.Last year, I initiated 360-degree feedback for myself. I asked around 35 colleagues from various departments and hierarchy levels for their anonymous feedback. At the time, I had moved into my new position and wanted to make sure that I was heading in the right direction in the way I was living this role.It was an exciting experience and really helped me to get different perspectives. It was not only valuable for my professional development, but also very appreciative for me personally. Once again, it showed the good collegiality at SupplyOn, because my colleagues invested a lot of time and effort in my assessment, for which I am very grateful.I find joint reflection and the broadening of perspectives and perceptions extremely valuable. I also give my manager feedback relatively often, for example on my perception of presentations, events or meetings. Our regular weekly jour fixe meetings in particular provide an opportunity to give structured feedback.These perceptions and reflections are very well received. Of course, feedback can also be spontaneous, for example directly after a successful presentation. However, in my opinion, the key to high-quality feedback is good preparation. If feedback is well thought out and prepared, it is particularly helpful.How do you personally deal with feedback from colleagues and managers, especially when it is critical or challenging?Sabine: First of all, listening is essential for me. I try to really understand the feedback and if it's difficult, I sleep on it. Then I talk to the person again to clarify any ambiguities. Sometimes I also discuss the feedback with other colleagues to get a second opinion and better understand it.Can you give an example of how you were able to grow based on specific feedback?Sabine: One specific example is my current position in the product area. I was open to new opportunities. But without the recommendations and feedback from my colleagues and managers regarding my strengths, for example, I wouldn't have had the idea of applying for this position in a specialist area that was still foreign to me.I saw the feedback to develop myself in this position as an opportunity to develop further. The new position has been a great learning curve and I am grateful for the opportunity to think outside the box and prove myself in a new area.What advice would you give to people who are afraid to ask for feedback because they feel vulnerable?Sabine: I understand this fear very well. Getting feedback takes courage, but it's a valuable opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and grow. It helps to trust that most colleagues want to give honest and constructive feedback to be supportive. It also shows that you really want to develop.Good preparation for feedback meetings can also provide additional reassurance. The more often you ask for feedback, the more courageous you become in the process. I recommend using the projects and initiatives of the past year as a guide when asking for feedback if you are unsure.Reflect on the challenges you faced, as well as your successes and moments of happiness. Where did you get stuck, where did you reach your limits, but where did you surpass yourself? Think about specific questions that you want to ask in order to receive targeted and helpful feedback.It can also be helpful to obtain feedback outside of the regular goal-setting meetings, for example through 360-degree feedback. This not only shows your willingness to develop yourself, but also strengthens teamwork.For your own career development, I can only recommend that you listen to how others see you and how they assess your strengths. I would be delighted if my experience report helps you to deal with feedback more courageously, to dare to ask for it and to advance your own career.Ready to take the next step in your career? Apply now and experience how valuable feedback and a strong team culture can drive your professional development! To our job offers
Feedback for career growth: Sabine’s top tips for success
Inside

Focus on innovation: an interview with board member Dr. Stefan Brandner

Innovation is one of our five leadership values. In an interview with SupplyOn board member Dr. Stefan Brandner, find out how we define innovation, the role it plays in our long-term strategy, and how we ensure that all employees across hierarchies and in all areas can participate in it. Learn about internal best practices and how we deal with challenges such as lack of time and failure to constantly question the status quo and proactively seek opportunities to improve our service offerings. How does SupplyOn define innovation?Stefan: We are guided by common definitions. We differentiate between innovations where the degree of technological novelty is very high. This includes, for example, innovations that are disruptive to existing markets and can completely change the market. The smartphone, the software-as-a-service concept, and platform business models are typical examples of this.On the other hand, there are innovations that use existing technologies to continuously increase customer value. These innovations are divided into incremental innovations, which are minor optimizations of existing products, and sustainable innovations, which are significant enhancements to a product to secure the company's market position in the long term. Applied to the examples mentioned, this means that providers in these originally disruptive markets must continuously improve. Customers do not opt for the provider that was first to define a new market with a disruptive product, but for the one they expect to offer the greatest benefit in the future.What role does innovation play in our long-term strategy?Stefan: Our customers are facing ever-increasing challenges. Disruptions in the supply chain are now the order of the day. Cost pressure is constantly increasing due to high development costs, e.g., in electromobility. Short development cycles increase the risk of quality problems. And for some years now, compliance with environmental and social standards and the industry's decarbonization targets have added to these challenges. As a solution provider, we must therefore always have our finger on the pulse.We were already focusing on the disruptive platform business model when we were founded in 2000, and its relevance is greater today than ever before. Our main focus is therefore the continuous optimization of existing solutions and services, including the new possibilities of artificial intelligence, as well as the regular development of new solutions as part of our still innovative business model. However, we must not ignore disruptive innovations either. We must closely monitor and evaluate technological developments and also test them ourselves. This is the only way we can develop a sound strategy that is sustainable in the medium and long term. To what extent is innovation seen as a shared responsibility of all employees, and how is this responsibility encouraged and supported? Stefan:It is very important to us that as many employees as possible are in direct contact with customers at all levels. Their diverse perspectives and experiences serve as a basis for recognizing needs and trends at an early stage and developing innovative solutions. This customer-oriented approach forms the foundation of our shared responsibility for innovation in our products and services.In line with our understanding of leadership "LOVE TO LEAD", which also includes the value of self-development, we actively encourage our employees to continuously expand and improve their skills.As part of this, we are currently intensively promoting personal development in the field of artificial intelligence, for example. Internal company hackathons and participation in conferences are also essential to give as many employees as possible the environment and time to broaden their perspectives.We see innovation as independent of the hierarchy and expect appropriate innovations to be identified and driven forward at every level. We place a strong emphasis on taking ownership at work and welcome every employee who takes the initiative and makes bold suggestions.Managers play a crucial role here as role models and are responsible for living and promoting our understanding of how to deal with innovation.How do we deal with failure and mistakes, which are often part of the innovation process, and how do we use these experiences to develop and improve?Stefan: By using the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) in our product development, we are able to manage innovations in a structured way. Personally, the process is very important to me. The better we understand the customer's problem and the more closely we coordinate the solution concept with the customer, the higher the probability of success when implementing innovations.Nevertheless, innovations can encounter unexpected hurdles that lead us to pause or even completely stop certain projects. However, we do not see this as a failure, but rather as a structured process to capitalize on potential opportunities while also limiting bad investments early on.There are also issues where we have to shorten the process for time-to-market reasons. It is then important that we regularly evaluate our progress and quickly adapt our approach based on new findings. This makes regular reviews all the more important to continuously learn and improve. We know that we will also make mistakes with this much more agile approach. We consciously accept this. As we are competing against start-ups on some topics, we have decided to work like a start-up on selected topics. The advantage, however, is that our start-up division has access to a complete operations and support organization as well as a business network with over 140,000 companies in 70 countries.What specific examples of best practice do you know of, or do you have any further tips for our readers on the topic of innovation?Stefan: We have many examples: With our SRM suite, we are probably the only provider that maps purchasing and quality processes so broadly and integrates them so deeply at the same time. The same applies to the integration of supply chain and transport management processes, for which we won the VDA Logistics Award together with Bosch and Eurolog. I was also very impressed by the digital product twin, which was initially developed for the traceability of quality problems and is now the technological basis for many other applications.However, consistent digitalization also requires a comprehensive range of services in addition to SupplyOn solutions. That's why we need to start innovating here too. A best-practice example comes from the onboarding team with the supplier community model. Here we regularly broadcast information events on current supply chain topics from SupplyOn's own studio. These can be expert talks on sustainability, for example, or discussions with customer representatives who present their digitization strategy. The idea of the supplier community model was developed independently by the team and implemented perfectly. Of course, there were also critical voices when the investment decision was made, but the team consistently fought for their idea and we are now looking forward to around 1,000 participants per event.The most recent example of best practice I would like to mention is the development of our comprehensive ESG suite. Here we have adapted to the specific market conditions with a new lean organization. The team has been given a great deal of responsibility, but also the corresponding decision-making authority. It has accepted this challenge in an exemplary manner and is breaking new ground not only in product development, but also in other processes, such as go-to-market or user support. Innovation also means that we have to question our organization and our processes and, where necessary, take fundamentally different paths.I recommend that external readers and potential applicants get to know our corporate culture and working methods better by actively engaging with our current projects and success stories.If you would like to be part of an innovative team and contribute your skills in a dynamic environment, we invite you to apply to us as an employer and shape the future of the supply chain together: to our job offers 
Focus on innovation: an interview with board member Dr. Stefan Brandner
Inside

LOVE TO LEAD: employees provide insight into actively practiced and shaped leadership culture

At the beginning of February 2024, our SupplyOn Leadership understanding was rolled out at a kick-off meeting with all employees. Developed by employees for employees, a team consisting of 16 change agents - with and without management responsibility - and the SupplyOn Vice Presidents played a key role in defining and developing the SupplyOn Leadership values and principles.Today, three of them are answering our questions about the impact and application of the LOVE TO LEAD leadership initiative: Korbinian Reng is Vice President of Portfolio Strategy & Marketing, Marian Wilken is Team Leader in Consulting and Dominik Maier is Product Manager and responsible for AirSupply Quality. Dominik, Marian and Korbinian, you have played a key role in shaping SupplyOn's leadership values and principles. Can you describe why leadership affects all employees across the hierarchy and not just managers? Marian: I don't think a change initiative can work if everyone just looks at their manager and waits to see what they do. Otherwise, all that's left at the end is the Management Board, which is then supposed to somehow lead the way.However, we have many substantive topics and we have experts for these topics. These tasks need to be led and driven forward. We need leaders who lead the way. And these must be the thematic specialists, they must be every single one of us. Because that's the only way we can develop.Dominik: In the role of Product Manager or Product Owner at SupplyOn, you have technical responsibility for the product even without disciplinary leadership. You also manage the product in the sense that it is constantly improving, which puts you in a functional management role.Korbinian: I think that's exactly the core of it. People often talk about ownership - but leadership goes a bit further: for example: I not only take responsibility for my topic, but I also lead my topic to success. I lead my colleagues, I lead my customers, I lead my boss. That is also something you can and must do. That's why all of our employees have a leadership role, regardless of their position within SupplyOn.Anchoring this as a leadership value now empowers every employee once again. True to the motto: "Do it and lead yourself."How do you interpret the "LOVE TO LEAD" approach in your day-to-day work in relation to how you live leadership?Korbinian: LOVE TO LEAD stands for passion. As a manager, I believe it has to be fun to work with people and to want to tease out the best possible potential from each person. At the same time, I am also an employee and project manager. I am passionate about driving my topics forward, and this can be broken down into all five leadership values - innovation, self-development, co-creation, customer value and long-term thinking.A few examples:Innovation: I want our solutions to be better, smarter and simpler.Self-development: I want to continue my professional development, both internally and externally.Customer value: I want to build something that offers our customers real added value.LOVE TO LEAD can therefore be found everywhere in my day-to-day work and I can apply it in many places.Marian: For the consulting sector and my team, LOVE TO LEAD means above all leading the customer. I see LOVE TO LEAD as going beyond the values and into leadership. To take the customer with us and lead them towards the goal that we have very specifically in the respective project. To simply live "leading"!  Can you pick out one of the five leadership values and describe how it influences your decisions in your area of work and interactions with team members on a daily basis?Dominik: For me, co-creation has always been very important. We have now codified the value and refined it through the principles, but the principle of achieving very good results as a team - and not as a lone fighter - still influences me. The result is better thanks to the different perspectives from the team. I think it's great that the value as a leadership topic has been given this importance, as it also encourages people to get involved, to express other perspectives or concerns, which further strengthens collaboration.Marian: As change agents, we have formed teams for certain values. As I am in the co-creation team, I would also pick out this value in my example. For me, working on co-creation within the leadership initiative has led me to think even more specifically about dependencies and synergies:I am increasingly asking myself questions such as: What are the departments relevant to me, the teams relevant to me that we work with a lot? Do these teams have conflicting goals and how can we identify and address these internally together in advance?How can we present to the customer together in the same direction so that the best possible result is achieved for all departments and, of course, especially for the customer?Korbinian: I would like to talk about the value of innovation. You have to be hungry and enthusiastic to innovate. You have to be willing to question things and keep trying out new ideas.Because in everyday life, it's rarely the case that a great idea is thrown into the room and everyone shouts "hurrah" and runs off. This brings us back to the value of co-creation: you have to approach your colleagues to understand how you can convince and inspire them. That's exciting because everyone has a different way of thinking. And of course, when it comes to innovation, you also need staying power. The leadership values and principles provide support here and encourage everyone: "Keep at it and keep going."How do you experience the implementation of "LOVE TO LEAD" in your daily work? Are there any examples you would like to share?Dominik: I think that the formulation of the leadership values and principles has an impact on our day-to-day work. A personal example I gave last week, for example, was when a customer communicated a new requirement to me regarding the data exchange of documents. Coincidentally, the customer communicated this new requirement to me. But I realized that this would also affect many other departments at SupplyOn that work for this customer. So, I took responsibility for this and, in the spirit of co-creation, felt obliged to inform all other affected teams about the upcoming change. The other teams were very happy because they were not yet aware of this requirement and now had the opportunity to act with foresight. In my view, this sharpening of a shared sense of responsibility is also what makes the values so important.Korbinian: Absolutely! I'm fascinated by what has already happened in the short time since the presentation in February 2024. I've seen employees stand up in meetings and say: "Guys, why are we discussing this now, why should we wait here for hierarchical decisions, let's take the lead ourselves, live leadership and decide together."And I have already seen an invitation to an appointment being canceled with the explanation: "I'm blocking this time slot for my personal development, this webinar is important to me. You said we should take responsibility for our self-development 😉."Marian: I can confirm that! I've also noticed a lot of discussion about leadership values and principles. People are thinking about them, questioning their meaning and looking for answers to the questions:What does this mean in concrete terms for us as a team?What measures can we take within our team?How can we bring the values to life in our everyday lives?Or to put it another way: what do we need to bring them to life?I receive feedback that colleagues feel that the leadership initiative has added value for them. They are motivated to work on things, to help shape their entire working day and the future against the backdrop of the leadership values.It is tangible that LOVE TO LEAD increases commitment and satisfaction within the company. People are keen to drive issues forward and that makes me even happier as a manager in my day-to-day work.Dominik: The great thing about the initiative is that it was broadly based right from the start and that a cross-section of employees was involved. Even without disciplinary leadership, I personally found it very exciting to be part of it. There was a positive energy right from the start. And that has carried people along and is now helping us to drive this topic forward.Incorporating so many different perspectives was probably the key to anchoring these topics in a sustainable way so that everyone at SupplyOn can identify with the values and principles.As change agents, you are also mentors for a specific leadership value and are available to all employees for questions and in-depth knowledge. What tips can you give employees to bring the leadership values to life in everyday life and actively contribute to the further development of the leadership culture?Korbinian: Be brave, dare to do it! Do you have a good idea? Talk about it with your manager, with division heads, with vice presidents - with whoever - if you are convinced that you have a good idea, then push it forward!Marian: It's a matter of type. You have to want to help shape things in order to fully exploit the potential of LOVE TO LEAD for yourself. And of course, it's okay if you don't see yourself in an active role. Nevertheless, I recommend that you don't sit down and wait for someone else to make you happy but use the opportunity to fill the values with life and get the most out of them for the company and for yourself personally.Korbinian: In my opinion, it's important to involve every employee. There are many people who don't like to push themselves to the fore as spokespeople, who tend to be quiet in groups or workshops. But these employees often have real treasures inside them in terms of ideas, opinions and observations. As managers, we have the opportunity to involve these employees, to encourage them to be bold so that we can unearth this treasure together.Marian: Some questions keep coming back to me:What's next for LOVE TO LEAD?What comes next?How will this be put into practice now?The short, concise answer to this is: There are topics that we are working on from the values teams. But ask yourself the same question: What do the leadership values and principles mean to you? Which topics are important to you and would you like to advance yourself? Do you want to break new ground, take charge of your own topics and take responsibility for advancing yourself and your career?Then you'll fit in with us! Apply now for one of our vacancies.
LOVE TO LEAD: employees provide insight into actively practiced and shaped leadership culture
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Meetings that inspire: Savis and Dominik on designing interactive team meetings

Integrating and activating employees in team meetings is crucial to encourage diverse perspectives, creative ideas and valuable feedback. Find out in an interview with Senior Project Manager Savis Konrad, Team P2P and e-Invoicing and Dominik Halamoda, Product Owner in the UX, Supplier Quality Management & Supplier Management Solutions team at SupplyOn, how meetings can be turned into interactive and inclusive platforms for idea generation and feedback by using different methods. How do you ensure that employees are actively and inclusively involved in team meetings in order to promote diverse perspectives and ideas?Savis: In my experience, precise formulation of expectations and targeted moderation are crucial. By clearly setting expectations at the beginning of the meeting, I can create an appropriate framework, promote interaction and inclusion and express appreciation.I communicate the meeting topic in advance and explain exactly what my expectations are for the meeting. Depending on the topic and work stream, I sometimes find it more efficient to work together on a draft version rather than starting from scratch.In terms of interactive discussion, I rely on direct communication. If I notice any reluctance or embarrassment during the meeting, I address the participants directly and ask for their opinion.This approach promotes effective communication and helps to ensure that meetings are successful and focused.Dominik: I agree with Savis, the preparation of meetings is particularly important if productive work results are to be achieved in the meetings. For me, this also means providing the participants with information about the meetings in advance so that they can prepare themselves. This makes more introverted colleagues in particular feel more confident about getting involved."Individuals and interactions over processes and tools", from the agile manifesto, is also my motto for successful collaboration. The focus is not on a rigid framework, but on individual appreciation. I try to involve everyone and address them in a targeted manner.To make this possible, I believe it is important to create a framework that builds trust and makes the meeting feel like a safe space.You mention psychological safety in meetings. How do you create an environment in which employees dare to share their thoughts and opinions?Savis: Ensuring a protected environment is the fundamental basis for the success of any exchange. In our department, the established error culture plays a key role as a success factor in creating a framework that promotes open communication. In the event of errors within our team, the focus is not on apportioning blame, but rather on finding solutions together. Both managers and team members work together to analyze the problem and strive for a common understanding of it.Once an issue has been successfully resolved, we focus on how we can avoid similar incidents in the future. This culture of dealing with mistakes strengthens the sense of togetherness in the team and encourages us to address critical issues. This creates a deep bond of trust that enables us to contribute ideas courageously and share opinions openly.Furthermore, in such a complex environment with constant changes and different fields of activity, we are aware that we cannot know everything. That's why we value feedback and the open discussion of concerns. This exchange enables us to complement each other and gain a broader perspective.Dominik: I can also say that in my role as product owner, I see myself as a central point of contact and try to shield my development team from external influences such as pressure or tension so that the team stays in the flow.This allows for concentrated and productive work and creates an interactive meeting atmosphere that encourages an open exchange of ideas.In our meetings, I experience respectful behavior and openness towards other opinions. It's a good human fit. It goes without saying that this also makes working together fun.We experience this fun in our meetings and also encourage it, for example through team-building events on the fringes of our PI planning events. This in turn deepens the trust relationship.What specific methods do you use to generate creative ideas interactively from your team and turn them into solutions?Dominik: I like to work with my development team using the Planning Poker method to estimate the effort required to meet customer requirements. In preparation for the meeting, we design the user stories and send them to the team in advance for review. That way, everyone is prepared and we can clarify any questions while playing poker.We then use a virtual planning poker tool in which the user stories are displayed one after the other. Our agile development team of developers and testers then have 30 seconds, similar to poker, to draw a card with the number of days they think they will need to implement the user story.If there are differences of opinion within the team, we then check why this is the case. At the end of the process, the team agrees on an average value, an estimate of the effort required that suits the entire team. I find this method particularly inclusive, interactive and very transparent because all team members have their say and share the background to their effort estimates.I like to write the user stories themselves in the format of the Gherkin scheme so that the three Cs: "Card, Conversation, Confirmation" are fulfilled. The requirement should be written in such a way that it is easy to understand and fits on a card.Conversation is one of the most important elements. I therefore do not formulate 100% of the requirements so that each team member can help shape and formulate them during the discussion process. This also promotes participation and acceptance within the team. Confirmation means that the acceptance criteria are also clearly formulated, as otherwise acceptance would not be possible later on.Savis: I achieve the best results in collaborative workshops where I deliberately bring together experts with different experiences and perspectives. The diversity of participants, both in terms of responsibilities and team affiliations (not just product owners, not just developer teams, etc.), has proven to be particularly effective so far.Diversity opens up the possibility of obtaining a differentiated picture. The different characters and perspectives complement each other. The exchange is particularly fruitful as everyone considers different aspects and sees different challenges.In terms of methodology, I often resort to classic brainstorming. The starting point varies depending on the participants. Some are most creative when they can brainstorm freely, while others prefer to be guided by an initial proposal. In such cases, I present an incomplete draft as a basis for discussion. Participants can then add their own ideas or make changes. In this way, I have already seen a rough block become a polished diamond.Dominik: That's my experience too, Savis. It's a matter of type. Some colleagues don't dare to fully express their own suggestions and prefer to use a template to discuss what specifically would have to be different in order to work. Sometimes I receive counter-suggestions that are a much better solution than I could have come up with on my own. Teamwork makes the dream work.To ensure that the idea generation process in interactive meeting design remains a good experience for all team members, it is important as meeting organizers to be open, accept the team's suggestions and put your own ego aside.What challenges have you overcome on your way to successfully shaping employee interaction in team meetings, and what successes can you share that have come from your meetings?Dominik: One challenge is, of course, the continuous, inclusive involvement of all workshop participants. Always address the individual participants on a rolling basis. Employee activation does not happen ad hoc, but only over time.Savis: The challenge is to take limited resources into account across departments and to manage the issue with perseverance and commitment while maintaining high quality standards. Effective work management and positive communication are crucial. Time plays a key role and perseverance is essential.Another challenge is to create space for innovation and creativity in daily business, which requires conscious time management. Planning and conducting meetings, reviews and coordination sessions is a time-consuming task, and successful time management is crucial.Successes can be seen in the dovetailing and networking of different subject areas as well as in the reduction of silos through meetings in different compositions. This was particularly helpful in developing a more comprehensive understanding.Dominik: By using interactive methods such as the Planning Poker described above or the three Cs, the meetings within our Scrum sprints are productive and inclusive, the requirements are formulated more clearly for everyone and the effort estimates are more realistic. This promotes satisfaction in our teams and that is definitely a success. What tips do you have for other teams and employees who want to implement your methods and approaches in their own team meetings in order to make meetings similarly interactive?Dominik: Be open to criticism and feedback!Savis: Despite a busy working day, it is important to allow enough time for preparation and follow-up to organize interactive meetings and to promote a culture of shared learning. The exchange brings great added value.To the meeting participants: Asking questions is by no means unintelligent; on the contrary, they help to improve the overall outcome.It is crucial not to rest on your laurels, but to always strive for innovation. Convince yourself that change is possible despite limited capacity or budget constraints, and your decision to do so can pave the way for change.Would you like to work for an employer where team meetings are designed to be inclusive and interactive using modern methods? Go to our job advertisements: Jobs at SupplyOn
Meetings that inspire: Savis and Dominik on designing interactive team meetings
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Full Stack Developer: Tasks at SupplyOn with Fangfang & Israel

What was your career like before you joined SupplyOn?Israel: I have been working as a Full Stack Software Developer for 5 years and have been with SupplyOn since 2023. I studied industrial engineering. During my studies, I already gained experience in software development through part-time jobs, internships and working student activities. I work remotely from Berlin.Fangfang: Before I started as a full stack software developer, I worked as a UI/UX designer in the IT industry for 8 years. For example, I managed websites in-house for various companies.There I already worked closely with full stack developers and discovered my interest in coding, but had no opportunity to gain professional experience in programming.Through the Full Stack Developer Java Bootcamp at neue fische GmbH, I managed to make a career entry at SupplyOn. How did you become interested in SupplyOn?Fangfang: The Java and React focus of my current project fits perfectly with the knowledge I acquired in the bootcamp. The frameworks are applied in a modern way at SupplyOn, which appealed to me.I also live near Hallbergmoos near Munich, so SupplyOn is also ideal for me in terms of location, as I personally like going to the office.Israel: I was looking for a new professional challenge as a full stack developer and heard about SupplyOn through a recruitment agency.In addition to the industry and working environment, what was exciting for me was that I could continue to apply my previous knowledge of the .NET framework, but also learn a lot of new things in my role.The possibility of flexible working hours and remote working from Berlin were also reasons for me to choose SupplyOn. What does a typical working day as a Full Stack Developer at SupplyOn look like?Israel:I usually start at around 8am and start coding. At 10 o'clock we have our stand-up. This is when we briefly discuss the current status with the rest of the team. We clarify who would like to go into more detail with whom in the team. After the stand-up, individual follow-up appointments are then arranged. The daily routine is then divided into meeting-free time, during which I program, and coordination meetings with team colleagues and the product owner.Fangfang:As we work with Scrum and therefore in sprints, there are also monthly meetings. At the end of each sprint, usually every other week on Fridays, we have a review meeting. This is where we present our results from the last two weeks to the Product Owner. This is followed by the retrospective. At this meeting, the Scrum Master, we as Full Stack Developers and our Product Owner come together and discuss how we can improve our collaboration. On the following Monday, we then start planning the next sprint. What all SupplyOn departments have in common is that all Scrum teams meet quarterly in line with SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) to discuss dependencies and risks and agree on the overall sprint planning for the next three months.Find out more about the role of Full Stack Software Developer at SupplyOn in Hallbergmoos near Munich on our Full Stack Developer careers page. How is the balance between front-end and back-end development handled in your position?Israel: When a user story or feature is implemented, it is the exception rather than the rule if only front-end or only back-end development is involved. Accordingly, I develop in both the front-end and back-end areas.At the beginning of the two-week cycle, during sprint planning, we decide which user stories are to be implemented.The tasks are clustered into sub-tasks. Sometimes we divide the front-end and back-end development between us, depending on the strengths and preferences of the team members. But we also implement both.Fangfang: For me, as a career changer coming from UI/UX, I am currently focusing on deepening my front-end knowledge.I would estimate that I do 70% front-end development and 30% back-end development. With my direct team colleague, it's the other way around.As full-stack software developers at SupplyOn, we have the opportunity to independently determine the proportion of programming we do. A 50%/50% split is not compulsory. What projects and challenges are you currently working on and which technologies and tools are you using specifically in the technology stack?Israel: In my team, we are currently working on a traceability application. This helps our customers to trace products down to the raw material level in order to solve quality problems quickly and continuously improve product quality.In the back-end, we write the software solution in the .NET Core Framework, ultimately developing a REST API that is then used by the front-end or other services. We use React for front-end development. We are free to choose the development environment. I prefer Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code. Colleagues of mine work with JetBrains Rider, for example. Our applications then run on Azure Web Services.We carry out several customer projects simultaneously in the area of traceability. The application was developed a few years ago for a first customer and was expanded this year to include various use cases and multi-client capability.The aim now is to make the application as usable as possible for all customers and to support customers already working with the product in integrating the new features into their tool landscape.At the same time, a new product, the Product Carbon Footprint application, was developed. The challenge here was to certify it and ensure compatibility with the CatenaX industry network.Fangfang: My team is developing a Capacity Management solution for customers in the automotive and aerospace sectors. The application supports our customers in increasing the resilience of their supply chain through smart capacity management of suppliers.We use Spring Boot, Gradle and Docker as frameworks for back-end development. We program with IntelliJ as our development environment. Our databases are also based on Microsoft Azure Web Services. We also code the front end with React. We develop the software solution on a customized basis according to our customers' requirements.In our case, the customers have specific ideas about implementation and compatibility, so our challenge is to create the application end-to-end in a target-oriented and functional way.What I really like about SupplyOn is the professionalism of our Product Owner when it comes to working with Scrum: it is a real practice that we can only concentrate on software development and our sprint phases and the Product Owner cushions any issues that go beyond this.What does the code review and quality assurance process look like?Fangfang: There is a code review for every task. After pushing my code, my team colleagues read it and approve it before merging and branching can take place in the main branch. We have a high test quota, which must be met as a minimum. We write a test for almost every method.Israel: It's similar for us. We use Git for version management. We use Azure DevOps to host our Git repositories. New or changed code is always developed in a separate branch first, then we create pull requests.After running automatic pipelines, teammates check the code. This is done at least according to the four-eyes principle. We then usually run several feedback loops.After the (also automated) installation in the QA environment, further manual tests can be carried out. At the same time, the product owner can also test the new developments here and provide feedback on whether the requirements have been implemented as expected. How do you use the opportunities for professional development and training?Fangfang: Every two weeks on Thursday afternoons, we have a cross-team tech meeting and receive training from internal and external development teams on innovations, such as library updates or similar.Individual training requests can also be discussed with our manager. I am attending a React conference this year to keep up to date with trends in this framework and to get inspiration for my own work from keynote speeches.There are also standard training courses that we go through as Full Stack Software Developers at SupplyOn, such as SAFe training.Israel: I also find the exchange with colleagues for internal training very valuable. Most recently, I wanted to learn more about automated testing in front-end development and used learning platforms to do so.Self-organized learning and access to learning platforms are supported by SupplyOn. Our Scrum Master colleague Angila, for example, used it to deepen her knowledge of Docker and Kubernetes and tells you more about it in her experience report on Agile Learning. What is the corporate culture and working environment like in the team?Israel: Very friendly, personal but also very professional. The team members are always open to feedback and I find the collaboration very constructive. There is very good interaction with colleagues across all hierarchical levels.Fangfang: My team is very international. There are colleagues from China - like me -, India, Turkey, France, Ukraine and Germany. Everyone helps each other. I really like that. What flexibility do you have in terms of working hours and location?Israel: The flexibility of working hours and location was one of the main reasons why I chose SupplyOn. The working day is not overloaded with meetings and the meeting-free time is completely flexible and can be arranged individually.I can work from anywhere in Germany and several weeks a year from other European countries. I have already used mobile working abroad this year and would like to make even more use of it in the future. Why would you recommend SupplyOn as an employer to Full Stack Software Developers?Israel: SupplyOn is an established company, but also a company with a lot of potential that is still in the process of developing and where there are also many opportunities to help shape software development. SupplyOn is a very forward-looking company that attaches great importance to ensuring that we as employees continue to develop. This is also very important to me personally and is practiced here.Fangfang: Due to its size, there are still very flat hierarchies and there is comparatively little bureaucracy. In particular, lateral entrants or Software Developers with a previous focus on front-end or back-end development are given individual on-the-job training opportunities and can grow with their tasks. Like Fangfang and Israel, would you like to use your Full Stack Developer skills to help shape the collaboration of global supply chains in a sustainable way?Apply now for our Full Stack Developer position:Senior Full Stack Software Developer (w/m/d) 
Full Stack Developer: Tasks at SupplyOn with Fangfang & Israel
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Supply Chain Digitization: tasks and insights from Consultant Kathrin

Senior Consultant Kathrin Reimann has been working at SupplyOn in Hallbergmoos near Munich since 2018. She started as a working student and is now a Senior Consultant Supply Chain Digitization, managing customer projects in the area of Supply Chain Collaboration and Transport Management. What are your tasks as a Consultant Supply Chain Digitization at SupplyOn?I take care of the implementation of customer projects in various modules of our SupplyOn platform. The focus of my tasks is on implementing customer requirements in the Transport Management Systems (TMS) module and our Supply Chain Collaboration Platform (SCC). I support customers from the conception of the future process to the test setup and go-live.My tasks also include training on individual SupplyOn applications. Both for customer key users and for new employees. I train them in how to set up and maintain our systems and explain what configuration options are available.I mainly carry out my tasks from my home office. One exception was my trip to Shanghai in September this year. I spent two weeks there supporting and training our Chinese colleagues on an ongoing local project in China. I really enjoyed the international exchange.You can find out more about the tasks and role of the Consultant Supply Chain Digitization at SupplyOn in Munich on our Consulting careers page. What does a typical working day or week look like as a Consultant Supply Chain Digitization at SupplyOn?We usually start on Monday morning with a team overview: We have a quick chat on our weekend activities and then, in the second part of the meeting, we discuss who is taking on which tasks this week and which topics are on the agenda.The day is then divided into several internal and external appointments (mainly via MS Teams, occasionally on site), as well as meeting-free working hours.In the customer meetings, current requirements are coordinated, challenges are clarified and the project status and next steps are discussed.The internal meetings are used, for example, to align with product development. As consultants, we provide input here so that the product developers receive first-hand feedback. Both from us as application professionals and directly from the customer.In some cases, we also support our sales team with new customer demos or detailed questions.In the meeting-free time, we configure systems such as our SupplyOn Portal or the Transport Management System and prepare workshops or customer scenarios.How many customer projects are you currently working on and what specific challenges are you solving?As a Senior Consultant Supply Chain Digitization, I am currently working on six customer projects for four different customers. The number of customer projects varies greatly for us and depends on various factors. For example, it depends on the customer's project phase. But the preferences within the team are also taken into account when assigning projects.One challenge that I am currently tackling together with some customers is the creation of transparency regarding the daily location of delivery goods and delivery materials for production. For example, these customers do not yet know where materials and goods are located after pick-up and whether delayed transport may have an impact on production. Any transport status is missing. The TMS module, for example, could provide more visibility here. Every transport status is recorded and displayed transparently for the customer. The customer has clarity about where the goods are moving and can plan more efficiently.Another challenge my customers face is providing evidence and traceability as to whether and where potential damage has occurred during the transport process. To this end, we use a mobile app solution to offer transport service providers the opportunity to report damage directly upon collection of the goods.The results from the mobile app are systematically mapped on our platform and can be enriched with photos, status updates, etc. to provide better evidence. As a result, the customer receives a systematic recording and logging of damage to delivered goods and materials and can better understand complaints from transport service providers and take countermeasures earlier if necessary.How does your role as a Consultant Supply Chain Digitization influence your customers' business development? In the examples mentioned above, the solution to my customers' challenges helps them to be able to produce more efficiently and transparently and thus save costs.At the same time, some customers, with whom I usually have a close relationship of trust, involve me in new topics at an early stage. They ask me for advice on how certain problems can be solved using our system landscape. What was your career like before you joined SupplyOn and how did you become interested in the supply chain industry?I completed my Bachelor's degree in Business Administration at LMU Munich with a minor in Computer Science and my Master's degree in Management and Technology at TU Munich. During my studies, I did an internship semester and repeatedly took on working student jobs, which gave me an insight into different areas of the company.After working as a student trainee in the area of supplier evaluation, I specifically looked around for working student digitization jobs in this area in Munich and came across SupplyOn.What particularly appealed to me about SupplyOn in consulting was not only the digitization of processes but also the area of process analysis and process improvement.How has your career as a Consultant Supply Chain Digitization at SupplyOn developed?I started in 2018 as a working student in the consulting department and was already involved in preparing customer workshops and analysing data. In some cases, I was already allowed to take on junior tasks.The following year, I wrote my master's thesis in the Invoicing department at SupplyOn on the topic of "Influences of electronic invoicing on key financial figures".After completing my studies, I applied for a junior position and started at SupplyOn in November 2019 in the Consulting SCC/TMS team with Martin Zwingmann. Here I was able to work directly on a major project, a transport management system migration for our customer Schindler.After successfully completing the project, I was promoted to Consultant Supply Chain Digitisation in 2021.I gradually took on more responsibility: I managed projects, initially sub-projects, then several customer projects in full and in parallel.I also supervised employees, such as working students in the team, and trained new colleagues.At the beginning of 2023, I was promoted to Senior Consultant Supply Chain Digitization. How do you collaborate with other teams and departments within SupplyOn?We work very closely with our corresponding team, Product Development Transport Management System, before and during product development and specify and test features, for example.We occasionally exchange ideas with other consulting teams from the Finance and Supply Chain Collaboration departments.What always helps me personally in the initial phase of complex large-scale projects are brainstorming sessions with process flow models (if already known) on the whiteboard or via Microsoft Visio. I welcome the fact that these often take place in the office, where we can all see each other in person.I would describe the collaboration as very trusting. The working atmosphere within Consulting is generally open and collegial. There is no one you can't ask for advice and you help each other.What excites you most about your position as Consultant Supply Chain?We still have a varied field of activity. It never gets boring, which is also very important to me personally. I always feel comfortable at SupplyOn and am challenged and encouraged.And my interest in digitization and process optimization has remained the same even after five years at SupplyOn. I am always delighted when we implement smoothly running end-to-end processes for customer projects that ideally no longer require 1000 manual interventions. I particularly like it when customer projects, which we have usually worked towards for months or years, are finally realized and take flight. What opportunities for further training and development does SupplyOn offer to consultants  in the area of supply chain digitization?In Consulting, there are internationally recognized qualifications in which we undergo further training. In the area of project management, for example, PRINCE2 or a training course on "Winning Complex Sales".Individual requests for further training can be addressed during the annual feedback meetings, in which personal requests for further education and training can be taken into account and agreed.So far, I have been invited to various presentation training sessions, for example on designing slides for presentations to a steering committee. In the future, I am looking forward to moderation training and/or conflict management training.SupplyOn also supports self-organized learning via digital learning platforms such as Udemy and LinkedIn Learning. Learn more about this in the interview with my colleague Angila.Where will your career take you in the future? Do you already have plans or wishes?My greatest wish is to never be bored.So far, my career at SupplyOn has developed by successively taking on new responsibilities.To keep things exciting, I can imagine taking on more different projects in the future, for example building up expertise in other SupplyOn modules or continuing to support the team in the USA/China. I am also open to a management role in a smaller (sub-)team. How do you ensure a balance between work and private life?I find our flexible working time models very positive. From a doctor's appointment, which can only be attended at certain times, to other private commitments, I can take advantage of these when customer appointments and the workload allow and organise my working hours as I wish.I also think mobile working abroad is a very cool benefit at SupplyOn, which I like to take advantage of. I spent a few days with a colleague in Thessaloniki this summer, for example, where we worked together remotely and could relax together in the city or on the beach after work.Otherwise, the workload itself depends on the project cycle. For example, there are definitely "hot" phases in the day-to-day work of a Consultant Supply Chain Digitization when projects are completed. The workload is then higher. However, I then try to compensate for this in quieter project phases.I generally work with appointment blockers. From 4 p.m. onwards, I generally have a meeting-free period in which I continue to work on important topics. During lunchtime, I schedule a fixed break in my diary every day and consciously arrange to meet with the team in the office twice a week to exchange ideas. What skills are crucial to be successful in the role of a Consultant Supply Chain Digitization?It is helpful to have a certain intrinsic motivation and the ability to think processes through to the end. Curiosity and a willingness to familiarize yourself with new systems are also a benefit. An affinity for IT and a basic technical understanding are ideal. In my experience, the relevant expertise in transport management systems or supply chain collaboration is helpful, but not crucial, as this can be learnt on the job as you go along. What advice can you give future SupplyOn applicants if they want to apply for the position of Consultant Supply Chain Digitization?Personally, getting a taste of the company as a working student really helped me to form an opinion and sound out my interests. So my tip is: just try it out and get to know SupplyOn and the subject area! Has Kathrin's experience report as a Consultant Supply Chain Digitization piqued your interest?Apply now asJunior Consultant Supply Chain DigitizationSenior Consultant Supply Chain Digitization
Supply Chain Digitization: tasks and insights from Consultant Kathrin
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Taking ownership at work: examples from Pia and Xiurong

"Taking Ownership" is a philosophy of corporate culture and a professional attitude in which employees actively and autonomously take responsibility for their work, projects and tasks, which we at SupplyOn welcome and encourage. It includes commitment, initiative, a sense of responsibility and self-motivation. On this subject, we interviewed Maria-Pia Drago and Xiurong Cai, Product Owner and Integration Specialist in the Visibility & Analytics Department.Learn more about Maria-Pia and Xiurong's approach to solving problems, driving innovation and promoting their professional development in the interview. Enjoy reading! How do you motivate yourself to proactively tackle issues, manage challenges and implement innovative ideas in your area of responsibility?Pia: I am fundamentally motivated by being interested in my job. It's very multifaceted. Each day I am confronted with different topics. This motivates me to constantly learn something new and to deal with different tasks and then successfully tackle them.I also enjoy working with my colleagues very much. The good atmosphere in the team, the team spirit. That keeps me motivated every day.SupplyOn as a company also motivates me. I feel supported as an employee and have the opportunity to work on different projects. An example for this was an internal leadership workshop. Taking part made me feel like I was really a part of the company and not just a number.Xiurong: My greatest motivation is my curiosity to learn more about myself and the world. The challenges fascinate me. For me, it's exciting to see that you can take different approaches to solving a problem. I am very interested in pursuing them, analyzing and evaluating them and testing different methods to find a solution.I strive to grow together as a team. People think differently depending on their experience and background. Working together as a team, I therefore enjoy sharing my experience and perspective on problems and learning more about my colleagues' approaches. In this way, I experience that we can learn from each other as a team and grow together. How do you take a proactive approach to identifying and dealing with challenges in your area of work?Pia: Challenges often become apparent in discussions with colleagues or during status analyses. This is when I look at the current status of the issue and consider how I can take a step-by-step approach. I like drawing up a short plan or process for this. I ask myself the following questions: What is my problem? What are the individual points that I should tackle now? How do I prioritize them? And how do I find my solution? To avoid potential blinkers, I get feedback from colleagues.Xiurong: Personally, I am a very data-oriented person. I observe the challenges and categorize them. I use internally documented findings, comments from colleagues, external community insights, e.g. from forum posts - and thanks to the AI boom - machine-supported impulses. This kind of data-based approach suits me very well. This gives me the feeling that I can evaluate the situation objectively. If I need decisions from my manager or buy-in from other departments to solve the tasks, I proactively approach them and ask for feedback.What steps do you take to actively work on your professional development and how do you proactively contribute to promoting innovation?Pia: I always try to keep myself informed. For my own professional self-development, I'm a huge fan of workshops or online courses that you have access to quickly. I use the LinkedIn Learning access provided to me by SupplyOn to attend training courses. I get a sneak peek into different subject areas and get to grips with them to expand my range of knowledge.In my opinion, innovation can only occur when there is an interest in trying out new things. Driven by the curiosity I've already described, I try to implement things in product development that we didn't have before at SupplyOn, which may also require a new concept. It is also important to me to initiate and drive forward new, value-adding topics within the company.Xiurong:My philosophy is: "Learning is a lifelong journey in different phases." I differentiate between active and passive learning channels. Passive for me means training up on the job. I receive goals and requirements from colleagues and then implement them.For me, learning on the job also means actively learning about topics that are interesting to me beyond my work tasks. For example, I have developed an interest in being able to understand my colleagues' code beyond debugging and have taught myself other programming languages through online courses.However, learning in a work context is just a small part of the learning journey. In my opinion, most of it takes place outside of work. For example, I'm currently spending a lot of time learning about AI, because the current AI boom isn't just changing the way we work, it's really changing our world. Other topics I'm currently learning more about include neural networks, PyTorch and deep learning.Personally, learning is an important prerequisite for innovation. In order being able to continuously learn in the subject areas that interest me, I have built my own, customizable AI tutor that provides me with the learning content that interests me and helps me to progress.I set up sources and used them to create my own news channel. My AI tutor extracts information from websites, provides me with tech news from sites I follow - e.g. from LinkedIn and content from Telegram or WhatsApp. I have created bots that request this information for me. I use ChatGPT to customize my learning topics. Instead of sitting in front of my PC for several hours studying, I consume my personalized learning information in bites on my smartphone or tablet every day, for example on my way to work. What steps do you take as a team member to proactively promote a culture of ownership in your team or at SupplyOn?Pia: In the meantime, there are four product owners in the team with different expertise and experience. I suggested that we set up a small PO group to exchange ideas. We realized in the group that this regular exchange helps us to structure our day-to-day work. We recognize similar problems that we have with customers, for example, give each other tips and define new processes that could help us. This mutual support helps us move forward.Xiurong:Whenever I see that colleagues are facing challenges that I can help to solve based on my experience or my mindset, I approach them. Officially, it may not be my job, but I think it's a win-win for all parties to share the way we think. It helps us to develop together. What tips or advice would you give to people who are interested in living the concept of "Taking Ownership" in their own work and career, but may not dare to do so because they may be afraid of change?Pia:As a general rule, you shouldn't approach something new with a feeling of fear. Instead, my tip is to always plan a short period of observation in order to minimize any potential feelings of uncertainty. Take a look at the change, reflect on it and let it sink in. This is the only way to work out both the positive and negative factors. So my advice is: be open and courageous, don't be afraid! Observe first and then form an opinion.Xiurong: I also believe that we should always be open to change and new technologies. My recommendation is to be better prepared for a changing world and to adapt your way of thinking to the changing way of working. Because the world is changing, and anyone who doesn't change with it will be changed by it.Innovation always means testing and making mistakes. So my tip is to aim for small, incremental changes that you can take back and correct before pushing forward on a larger scale. I think this could be a good compromise when evaluating the risk between change and stability for people who are afraid of change. Are you interested in working in a company where personal responsibility is expressly encouraged? Then we look forward to receiving your application! To our job advertisements: SupplyOn Group
Taking ownership at work: examples from Pia and Xiurong
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Health and success: tips from Thomas

As Vice President, Thomas Bickert is responsible for the SRM & Portal Solutions division at SupplyOn with over 35 employees. His department designs and develops integrated solutions for successful supplier relationship management - supplier management, source-to-contract and  supplier quality management. In the context of the SupplyOn Health Weeks, we asked him for personal insights and tips on health and work-life integration. Enjoy the reading! How important s health to you and how do you personally integrate time for your own well-being?Health is an important issue for me, particularly because I expect to keep my job for longer. I want to stay fit for a long time. Not only for me personally, but also for my family. However, I am not someone who goes to extremes in terms of sports and nutrition. I try to eat balanced and do sports on a regular basis. But I am not a top athlete and do not exercise daily. I try to maintain a healthy balance.How has your own engagement with health evolved during your career and what experiences have strengthened your focus on this important issue?I realized over time that I can't just perform. At some point, you must pay attention to signals from your body and take them seriously if you don't want to struggle with any ailments on a permanent basis.In my experience, every person, every body, has certain stress valves (e.g. back problems, knee pain, infections). When things get too stressful, they react. Probably everyone knows these points for themselves. I know mine. This is where you need to actively deal with them and decide. Do I want this permanently? If not, you need to adjust your behavior.A few years ago, these valve points were the determining factor for me to rethink. So, I started asking myself questions: What am I changing? What am I actively modifying? Where do I set limits?I implemented my personal answers, and I'm now living a good life with them.Certainly, you often have a busy workday and deal with a high workload. How do you manage to switch off from your daily work routine and maintain a healthy work-life balance?Time and self-management is essential for me. This personally helps me a lot, and I always try to optimize and develop it for myself. This begins with perception. I start to focus on the contexts in which I'm moving. Am I currently in the context of work? Or in the context of family, for example?Each context has specific rules for me. In the context of work, I focus 100% on my work and exclude my private life. This also means, that in my private life, I focus completely on my family life. For each context, it is very important for me being able to rely on managing things.For me, an important learning is to recognize that I can't work through everything. Because that will never happen. At some point I said: There will always be work for the next day and I will never get my inbox down to zero.In this process, I believe it is important to develop a method or approach that offers a feeling of confidence and to find the right balance between personal ability and the expectations of the company or team. This self-organization leads to satisfaction, self-affirmation and prevents negative stress.How do you support your employees in improving their own work-life balance and taking care of their personal well-being?I trust in the self-responsibility of each individual and in the fact that my employees will take measures and give me signals if there is an imbalance. Taking this into account, I see it as my responsibility to recognize and respect the limits of my employees and not to influence them negatively. For example, if employees tell me that they pursue a hobby at certain times during flexible working hours and cannot be reached at that time, I respect that.It is not part of SupplyOn's culture to expect people to be available outside of regular working hours. We don’t have a - I write an e-mail at 9 p.m. in the evening and expect a response by 7 a.m. the next morning.I communicate this actively. It is even more important to demonstrate this in your own behavior.What advice would you give (younger, less experienced) employees about setting boundaries and reaching that balance you named?It is very important that you already have the understanding that this is a process. A highly individual one. No one can dictate that. In my opinion, there is no pattern, and a healthy balance will not appear by accident. Everyone needs to figure that out for themselves: Some people need more to be satisfied, others less.One thing that helped me personally was confidence. Trust in my own performance. Trust in my own assessment of the fact what I'm doing is good. This confidence is also generated through feedback.I would recommend getting feedback proactively by the organization. Is this how it works? Is this what is expected of me? Do they expect more? And not just to reflect on this with your manager, but also with colleagues or customers.Be confident to actively ask for feedback, managing your own expectations and building trust as a result. Recognize: What I'm accomplishing is enough. Or recognizing that not so much is expected of you, but you are putting pressure on yourself and stressing yourself out.Colleagues may also be surprised of how much you can achieve and perform during your available time, and you realize being able to slow down. It's worth making that adjustment and investing in your own self-confidence! Thank you, Thomas, for the great insights and tips! Are you interested in an employer who cares about your health? 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Health and success: tips from Thomas